Fresno State alumni, faculty, staff and community members will have the opportunity to support the university and its students’ success during the third annual Day of Giving on Nov. 7.
Day of Giving is a 24-hour online fundraiser in which donors can make a gift to a specific college, school, division or program of their choosing.
“Day of Giving gifts, no matter how big or small, signal that our region cares about our students and the learning experience they have through Fresno State,” said Paula Castadio, Fresno State’s vice president for University Advancement. “Every donation to Fresno State prepares our next generation of leaders for the Valley.”
The event, which runs from midnight to 11:59 p.m., features 19 participating areas, including the Jordan College’s Farm Fund, Athletics’ Student-Athlete Scholarship Fund and the Division of Continuing and Global Education’s Veterans Education Program, according to a university news release.
A live leaderboard will track progress during the course of the day, providing real-time updates on the campaign website.
This year, the goal of the fundraiser is to reach 2,250 unique donors, which would be a 5 percent increase from last year’s event.
There will be several activities throughout the day to raise awareness about how the fundraiser impacts Fresno State students and programs.
From 5 to 8 a.m., students, student-athletes, coaches, alumni and friends, along with the Bulldog Marching Band and mascot TimeOut, will rally community support by cheering outside the Save Mart Center as morning commuters pass by.
From 11 a.m to 1 p.m., students are invited, in partnership with Associated Students, Inc. and Student Involvement, to the Speakers Platform by the Peace Garden to help spread the word about the importance of Day of Giving.
Finally, from 4 to 7 p.m., staff, faculty, alumni, ambassadors and friends can gather at the Que Pasa Restaurant at Campus Pointe for a social get-together.
The event, in partnership with Staff Assembly, will feature a disc jockey, appetizers, giveaways and the opportunity to vote for individuals’ favorite Day of Giving participating area. The top three areas will receive an extra $1,000.
There will also be various challenges throughout the day, for which participating areas can receive bonus funds totalling $75,000, provided by the Office of the President and the Fresno State Alumni Association.
The first challenge will award $500 in bonus funds to the participating area that receives the first donation after midnight through the website. There will also be $500 in bonus funds for the last gift made through the site and posted on the donor wall.
Last year’s Day of Giving fundraiser drew donations from 2,142 individual donors from 42 states and 18 countries and was able to raise more than $456,000.